Suspenders or the like



M 24, 1934. P E, TON 1,967,814

SUSPENDERS OR THE LIKE Filed Oct. 12, 1935 INVENTOR MM g. 7%

7 BY I Patented July 24, 1934 SUSPENDERS OR THE LIKE Paul E. Fenton, Thomaston, Conn, assignor to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury,

Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application October 12, 1933, Serial No. 693,232

6 Claims.

This invention relates to suspenders, braces, or similar devices for garments, and aims to provide certain improvements therein.

The invention is particularly directed to a suspender or brace for overalls, the latter being combined with a slide to which one end of the sus pender is fixed, the body of the suspender passing through a button loop and back through the slide.

The principal objects of the present invention 1 are to provide a device of this character wherein the slide is a'very simple and cheap construction, and where the suspender strap is so combined with the slide that the strains of use will have little or. no effect to disturb the connection, and

where the construction and arrangement of parts are such as to lend themselves to a new method of assembly which can be accomplished. with great celerity. It will be understood that many millions of suspenders or braces of this general type are used annually in overalls and other similar garments, and that it is very desirable to so cheapen the slides and so simplify the methods of assembly that the least possible expense is incurred in this part of the garment, it being understood that small savings on individual garments amount to very considerable sums in the aggregate.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates the preferred form of the invention,

Figure l is a front or face view of an overall brace illustrating the type of slide provided by the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of Fig. 1 taken on the line 2-2, and showing the assembly ofthe brace and slide.

Fig. 3 is a view of the slide before attachment to the strap.

Fig. 4 is a section of Fig.3 on the line 4-4.

Fig. 5 is an elevation partly broken away of a slightly modified form of slide.

Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 66 of Fig. 5..

- Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 are perspective views showing the method which is provided by my invention for assembling the slide with the suspender strap and button loop.

Referring to the drawing, let A indicate the strap of an overall suspender or brace, or other similar article to: which the invention is applicable. B is the slide through which the strap passes in the manner to be described. It is the well-known type of button loop designed to engage buttons on the overall or other garment to which the invention may be applied. In other uses of the invention other devices will be substituted for the button loop.

In Fig. 2 it will be observed that the strap passes downwardly along the rear of the slide, thence through the slide and over the middle 0 car, thence in a reverse direction back through the slide to the rear thereof. From this point it passes downwardly through the button loop and thence upwardly at the rear of the slide to the point of the middle bar where it is fixed to the latter. By moving the slide along the strap the effective length of the latter is adjusted.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4 which disclose the preferred construction of slide, it will be seen that the latter is stamped or formed rom a single plate of sheet metal. In the upper part of the plate a space D is formed by the complete removal of the metal. In the lower part of the plate the metal is cut on three sides, as indicated by the letter E, and is then folded back to form a tongue F extending preferably substantially across the slide. This results in a slide frame G of general rectangular shape and consisting of a single thickness of metal and a middle bar H extending across the frame, which comprises a stationary strip J and the movable tongue F. I prefer to construct the frame G so that a cross-section at any point will be semicircular with the concave side at the rear, as is best illustrated in Fig. i. This not only enables me to get the requisite degree of stiffness and strength from a light gauge metal, but also provides two edges K on top and bottom of the frame, which edges lie in contact with the strap A when assembled and constitute frictional points which assist in holding the adjustments. The turning back of the tongue F leaves lower space L through which the strap passes, as will be described. The tongue F and bar J constitute the fastening members for connecting the end of the strap with the slide, and during the process of manufacturing the slide the tongue is left partly closed as illustrated in Fig. 4 in order to permit free introduction of the strap end. To assist in this engagement either the tongue F or the bar J, or both, may be provided with projections or grooves, such for instance as illustrated at M in Fig. 3 or N in Fig. 6, which press into the material or permit the material to be pressed into the metal.

In constructing the slide I prefer that the lower space L shall be wider in a vertical direction than the upper space D, for a purpose which I will later describe.

It is important in my invention that the tongue shall be formed from the metal of the lower part of the slide so that this tongue closes upwardly. The purpose of this is well illustrated in 2, where the end A of the strap is shown as grasped between the tongue F and the bar J. This end A lying between the two metal members, as shown, first passes upwardly and then around the tongue, then downwardly and through the slide to the button loop. This construction greatly increases the security of the connection since a great part of the strain is taken along the upper edge of the tongue F, so that there is little tendency for the material to pull out of the connection. If this arrangement of the tongue and bar were reversed so that a pull downwardly on the strap end would be in the direction of separation of the parts, there would be great danger of loosening of the strap end even if it were sought to avoid such loosening by making positively gripping teeth on the tongue and increasing the thickness and rigidity of the metal.

The invention also includes a novel method of assembly which is extremely rapid and consequently economical, so that the cost'to the garment factory is reduced. This method is illustrated in Figs. '7 to 10. In following this method the end A of the strap is first passed upwardly through the narrow opening D in the slide, as shown in Fig. '7. In this figure the inner side of the strap is shown facing the observer, so that if the strap is hemmed the hems will lie in front. The next step in assembly is to pass the end A from back to front through the inverted button fastener C, and when this is accomplished the end of the strap is passed into the bight or space between the tongue F and the bar J, as shown in Fig. 9. The tongue is then closed in by a suitable press, the material lying well to the rear of the tongue and the center bar being uncovered so that the press membersmay easily strike down the tongue so as to close the same and connect the end A with the center bar. This leaves the button loop and the suspender loop extending upwardly from the slide and on the wrong side of the latter. The button loop is now used to thread the suspender loop downwardly through the space L so that these parts lie at the rear of the slide in use. This whole method of assembly can be very easily and quickly accomplished in the minimum time with a corresponding gain in economy.

I have previously stated that the lower space L in the slide is preferably made wider in a vertical direction than the space D. This is for several purposes which will be apparent from the foregoing description. First this wider space permits the cutting therefrom of a wide tongue of such dimensions as to efiectively engage the extreme end of the strap. Second this space permits an easy passage of the two thicknesses of strap material plus the diameter of the wire forming the button loop, which must all pass through the opening at the same time in practicing the improved method.

, While I have shown and described one. form .of the invention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto as various changes may be made therein withinv the scope of the appended claims. In the claims the word suspender is used to include suspenders, braces, or other flexible members to which the invention may be applied; and the words downward and upward, upper and lower, front and rear when applied to the slide are all used with reference to the position of the latter shown in Fig. 2 in which the front faces left.

What I claim is:

1. A suspender comprising a strap looped at one end and a slide on said strap, the slide comprising a frame having an upper bar, a middle bar and a lower bar, defining an upper space between the upper and middle bars, and a lower space between the middle and lower bars, the middle bar having a tongue forming with the bar a clamping device for the extreme end of the strap, said tongue being connected with the bar at its lower side so that such end of the strap enters between the tongue and bar in a downward direction and is clamped therebetween, the strap passing thence downwardly over the front face of the middle bar, thence rearwardly through the lower space to the rear of the slide, thence downwardly again and upwardly to form the strap loop, thence from rear to front through the lower space, thence over the front of the middle bar and rearwardly through the upper space.

2. A suspender comprising a strap looped at one end and a slide on said strap, the slide comprising a frame having an upper bar, a middle bar and a lower bar; defining an upper space between the upper and middle bars, and a lower space between the middle and lower bars, the middle bar having a tongue forming with the bar a clamping device for the extreme end of the strap, said tongue being connected with the bar at its lower side and extended upwardly and forwardly so that such end of the strap enters between the tongue and bar in a downward direction and is clamped therebetween, the strap passing thence downwardly over the front face of the tongue, thence rearwardly through the lower space to the rear of the slide, thence downwardly again and upwardly to form thestrap loop, thence from rear to front through the lower space, thence over the front of the middle bar and rearwardly through the upper space, and the slide tongue comprising a piece of metal integral with the remainder of the slide and comprising material cut from its lower space.

3. The method of assembling a suspender strap with a slide having upper, middle and lower bars, and upper and lower spaces, and with a button loop or the like, which comprises passing the free end of the strap from rear to front through such upper space, then passing the end of the strap through the button loop or the like, thus also forming a strap loop, then fastening the end of the strap to the middle bar, and then passing the button loop and strap loop from front to rear through the lower space of the slide.

4. The method of producing an assembled suspenderstrap, slide and button loop or the like, which comprises forming a slide with upper,

middle and lower bars, and upper and lower spaces, and an upwardly extending clamping portion on the middle bar, passing the end of the strap; from rear to front through such upper space, thence through thebutton loop or the like, and thence between the body of the middle bar and its clamping device in a direction toward the lower sideof the slide, then clamping down suchclamping device to engage suchend, and then passingthe strap loop and button loop from front to rear through the lower space of the slide.

5. The method of assembling a suspender strap with a slide having upper, middle and lower bars, and upper and lower spaces, which comprises passing the end of the strap from rear to front through such upper space, then bending the end portion of the strap into a loop and inserting the free end between the body of the middle bar and its clamping device in a direction toward the lower side of the slide, then clamping down such clamping device to engage such end, and then passing the loop from front to rear through the lower space of the slide.

PAUL E. FENTON. 

